22 Castle Street, Newry, Co Down, BT34 2BY

22 Castle Street is one of a terrace of three three-storey houses with basement and attic, constructed in the early Georgian period (circa 1760–1779) on the east side of Castle Street. This building occupies the right end of the terrace and is two bays wide. The composition suggests it was erected as a unit with no. 20. The building retains most of its original features and is notable for its well-proportioned, elegant classical design.

The street façade has a gabled natural slate roof with cast iron skylight to the front pitch and a rendered chimney at the right. The right gable features projecting eaves and bargeboard. The walls are constructed of strap-pointed random granite rubble with a moulded granite eaves course. Concealed gutters run to the façade with a metal downpipe at the right.

At ground floor left is a modern painted tongue-and-groove sheeted door with plain transom above. To the right is a 6/6 sliding sash window with horns. Two identical windows occupy each upper floor in line with the openings below. All windows have painted granite cills and rendered reveals; those at the top are diminished in height. These windows are appropriate but not original. A modern decorative metal railing on a strap-pointed random rubble plinth fronts the property. The gate at left is flanked by squared granite block pillars with concrete caps. Two steps from the street lead to a geometric tiled path up to the front door, with a similar railing to the left separating it from the coach arch approach.

The left gable forms a party wall with the adjacent property. The right gable is wet-dashed and has no openings. Overhanging boxed eaves are present. The rear walls match the front façade treatment.

To the rear left, a three-storey gabled return is abutted to the main building. Its gable features an artificial slate roof with a rendered chimney rising from the wall head of its left cheek. Rainwater goods are half-round metal. The left cheek walls are wet-dashed. At first floor centre and left are two 6/6 sliding sash windows, and at second floor are three diminished-height 6/3 sash windows, all in line with the first floor openings. All windows to this elevation have shallow segmental brick heads or arches over but no cills. At ground floor right is a timber-sheeted lean-to with mono-pitched roof and no windows; it is uncertain whether this rests on a ground floor structure or cantilevers out.

A second return abuts the rear gable. This has a gabled natural slate roof and half-round metal rainwater goods, with wet-dashed walls. At first and second floors is a 1/1 sliding sash; the top one is diminished in height. Both windows have segmental brick heads but no cills. A further outbuilding abuts this gable but has been much altered and is of no architectural interest.

The building is possibly shown on John Rocque's 1760 town map of Newry and is definitely recorded on the 1838 valuation map, where it was valued as a house at £30. It appears on the 1861 Ordnance Survey map with its returns shown, and was described as three and one-third storeys high in the 1863 valuation. The property remains in residential use and is situated within a conservation area.